Ningen Tensei
by Madcap Minstrel
Summary: For decades, Igor has helped humanity, but only to a point.  When his servants take matters into their own hands, Naoto Shirogane finds herself engulfed in mankind's greatest struggle yet.  Giant Persona crossover with several characters appearing.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: "I dreamed I was a butterfly…"

_ "Don't leave me!" the child wailed, "I don't wanna be alone!"_

_ Slowly, everyone faded away, leaving Sukuna-Hikona behind. Peering at her, it slowly transformed, first into Yamato Takeru, her initial Persona, and then into a familiar figure._

_ Naoto Shirogane's eyes widened as the scene unfolded before her. She lay on the floor, bleeding from many wounds. They reminded her of the pictures of the mangled bodies she had seen in Inaba six years ago._

_ Her doppelganger laughed. "Just a helpless damsel-in-distress! Pathetic! Growing up? That didn't change a single thing!"_

_ "SHUT UP!" the child screamed, "I HATE YOU!"_

_ "Back to tantrums, are we?" the old Shadow taunted, "Are you going to kick me in the shins, now? Maybe blow a raspberry at me? Will that make it all better?"_

_ Naoto slowly dragged herself forward._

_ The Shadow turned and smiled derisively at the fallen detective. "Oh, still going to play the hero? Does that make it easier? Does that make your big mistake any less than it was?"_

_ "I had to be honest with myself!" Naoto wheezed, "I had to be honest with the world!"_

_ "You thought you would change society? The Detective Prince comes out of hiding after a year and reveals the truth about his identity! Did you expect to become the 'Detective Queen'? Is that it?"_

_ "I had to try!" Naoto protested._

_ "Even now, your friends still call you 'Naoto'. Even the public still does! It has a better ring than 'Naomi Shirogane', doesn't it, 'Naoto-kun'? And now you want to run away!"_

_ "I'm not running away!" Naoto grunted, "I…just want to be taken seriously! It's all I've ever wanted!"_

_ "Suuuuuuuuuuure…" the Shadow jeered, "You've been preparing to flee for quite some time now! You honed your English, and now you're going to that place where the streets are paved with gold, and women and men are completely equal, right?"_

_ "There's nothing wrong with getting my Master's abroad!" Naoto argued, "And I don't have time for your lies! Last time, there was some truth to your words! This, though, is all…"_

_ She abruptly began to cough, tasting blood coming from her mouth. When she looked up, a faceless, gray, winged figure hovering in the air before her. Raising a lobster-like claw, it quickly charged at her._

* * *

Twenty-one-year-old Naoto Shirogane sat up gasping for air, her eyes wide in terror. She looked around for a few seconds, realizing with relief that she was back in her own bedroom at the Shirogane estate.

Breathing a huge sigh, she collapsed back onto her pillow.

It was the third time in as many nights that she'd had this nightmare. Ever since she had been accepted for UC Davis' graduate program in Forensic Science last week, she had kept having these strange dreams. Now, they had gotten worse.

She had only a few days left before her graduation from Tokyo University. After that, she had several months to kill before her classes would start around September.

_Too much time for people to forget what they learn…_Naoto had thought. She still wondered what she might do during the time being. The detective in her wanted to find just one more case to solve. The young adult in her was tempted to see the sights of California.

_After all, one of my favorite mystery novels takes place there._

Her old friend Rise Kujikawa wanted her to come travel to Chicago, where she was filming her first American motion picture. How she was managing that was beyond Naoto. Rise spoke what the Americans referred to as "Engrish". Not as bad as Teddie's English, but enough that she could never master the letter "L". Naoto, on the other hand, had studied English intensively, mostly for the purpose of being able to read American mysteries. Not only that, but reading "Sherlock Holmes" in its' original text had been thoroughly enjoyable.

Perhaps she might visit her old friends in Inaba. Only Chie Satonaka and Yukiko Amagi were there now, but it might still be worth the visit. Yukiko had finished college, with a degree in business, and Chie was now a member of the Inaba police force. There was also her young friend Nanako, who was now in Jr. High. It might be nice.

Yosuke Hanamura was the assistant manager of Port Island's Junes, she had last heard. Souji Seta was also in graduate school, though he was studying abroad in Germany. Kanji Tatsumi was studying fashion, and from his emails, it seemed that he had finally started to gain respect for his talents.

Teddie…well…he would occasionally pop up in Inaba and catch up with whoever was around. For a while, Naoto had wondered what would become of the ex-Shadow from spending so much time in this world. Surprisingly, Teddie had begun to age like a normal human being. In the last picture she had received from him, he was now sporting a goatee(or as he called it, a "bear-tee"), which of course, he had to boast about, claiming that he'd "finally become a man!".

Naoto cringed, trying not to think of the obvious double-entendre. She felt sorry for any woman who might have had _that_ job…

Ah, but still…what to do?

She glanced at her alarm clock. 2:04 a.m.

_Go back to sleep…that's what I should do…_

* * *

"Congratulations, Naoto-kun!" Chie exclaimed as she and Yukiko pounced on their friend.

"Bear-pile!" Teddie exclaimed as he hugged the three of them.

"Guy's always gotta cop a feel, huh?" Kanji muttered.

Yosuke nodded silently.

Despite Naoto's protests, Yosuke had arranged to reserve a spot in the Junes food court, as a celebration of Naoto's graduation and acceptance to grad school. All of her old friends from high school had shown up, save for Souji and Rise. Even her old colleague Ryotaro Dojima and his daughter Nanako had shown up.

"WATCH where you put your hands!" Naoto growled as she kicked Teddie in the shins.

"But this is one of the few times I get to see Nao-chan not hiding her real self!" Teddie winced, "Or should I say, 'real selves'?"

Yosuke inserted himself between Teddie and Naoto. "Don't you guys want cake? Come on- cake, Teddie!"

Naoto forced herself to calm down. If wearing a bra was going to yield this kind of reaction from people, then she was right in wearing bandages to work for so many years.

"Sensei and Rise-chan are missing out today!" Teddie exclaimed as he went over to the platter of food and began helping himself.

"Ah, that reminds me!" Yosuke took a laptop out of his bag and opened it up.

"Have you ever been to America before?" Nanako asked.

"Once when I was a toddler, but obviously I don't remember," Naoto replied, "So as far as I'm concerned, it's a brand-new experience,"

"Wow, that's exciting!" Nanako gushed.

Naoto smiled. Even at thirteen, Nanako still looked up to her "big bro's" friends.

"It'll be a new experience," Naoto acknowledged, "I hope my English is up to par,"

"I'm sure it is, 'Sank-yoo-berry-much!'," Teddie piped up, "I can even visit you! How far away is UC Davis from…Great Falls, Montana?"

"You found an opening that leads to Montana?" Chie asked.

"Yep! At a store called Wal-Mart!" Teddie beamed.

"Ah! I'm connected!" Yosuke announced, "Over here, Naoto-kun!"

Naoto made her way over to the laptop.

"HI, NAOTO!" Rise exclaimed loudly from one video-chat window.

In the other chat window, Souji smiled and waved.

"Senpai? Rise?" Naoto looked surprised.

Yosuke grinned. "Pretty cool, huh? New anti-glare laptop! Perks of being in management!"

"Hey, big bro!" Nanako called out.

"Hey, kiddo- how's it going?" Souji greeted his cousin.

"It's like old times here!" Nanako said cheerily, "Too bad the two of you are in different countries,"

"Aw, I'd have been here in a heartbeat if I could, and I'm sure your big bro would've too," said Rise, "They haven't invented teleportation yet, though, so I guess a video chat will have to do!"

Naoto smiled. "This is quite a surprise,"

"Since we couldn't be there in person, we at least wanted to say 'hey', and wish you luck!" said Rise.

"Sorry I haven't been online lately," Souji apologized, "This one class I'm taking has been brutal. I've had to give it all I have studying just to keep up. I'll probably end up passing and that's all I can be happy with,"

"I've got a week off coming up soon!" Rise announced, "My invitation still stands! One of these days, I WILL give you a makeover!"

"Not again…" muttered Naoto.

"She's nothing if not persistent," Chie remarked.

"Whoops! Break-time's over! Gotta run! Bye, everyone! Congratulations, Naoto!"

Her chat window closed.

"I wouldn't visit her alone if I were you," Souji warned Naoto, "She'll give you that makeover in your sleep,"

"Naoto-kun _is_ a very heavy sleeper," Yukiko agreed.

"I've gotta run too," said Souji, "But hopefully I can catch you online soon. Bye, everyone,"

"Bye!" everyone called out.

Naoto hoped he would be online soon. She was about to burst as far as what had happened the past few nights went.

"I'll be right back," Yukiko announced, "Need to use the ladies' room,"

Naoto impulsively stood up. "I'll go with you!" she said.

The party quieted down and stared curiously.

"What? Women always go to the bathroom together, don't they?" Naoto said defensively.

"Let's go, Naoto-kun," said Yukiko.

* * *

"Senpai…" Naoto said hesitantly, "Do you ever…still dream about the Midnight Channel?"

"Well, sometimes," said Yukiko as she washed her hands, "A lot less often than I used to,"

"You were in the Midnight Channel a lot longer than I was," said Naoto, "Do you remember any Shadows that had wings, were gray, and had no face? With claws like lobsters?"

"Hmm…" Yukiko scowled, "Lobster claws, wings, gray, no face…I saw a lot of strange creatures, but nothing like the one you described. Maybe I wasn't paying attention to detail, though. You should ask Chie, or our 'fearless leader', whenever he shows up online,"

Naoto frowned. "Maybe,"

"You're having dreams?" Yukiko asked as the two headed back to the celebration.

"Lately, yes," Naoto admitted.

"Maybe it's just from all that's happened lately. Maybe you're anxious?" Yukiko suggested, "I mean, when I started managing the inn, I had some pretty crazy dreams myself. One time…there were these koalas…" she giggled, "…and they were all wearing little scarves on their heads…*snerk*"

Naoto smiled and shook her head. In the six years that she had known Yukiko, her giggle-fits still always got the best of her. One could never guess how long they would last.

"Yes, you're probably right. It must be all the excitement," Naoto said hastily.

"Oh no…" Yosuke said as they approached the party, "What set her off this time?"

"…And they even sang about cantaloupes!" Yukiko went on.

"Did they, now?" Naoto deadpanned.

"And little monkeys with lunchboxes…!"

Kanji and Chie exchanged confused glances.

"Were they singing about the monkeys, or were there actual monkeys?" Naoto couldn't help herself.

"Naoto-kun, don't you encourage her!" Chie snapped.

Yukiko doubled over, gasping for air.

* * *

_Banchou94 is currently away._

Naoto sighed and turned away from her computer monitor.

It was to be expected. The time difference between the two of them would indicate that her old senpai wouldn't be at his computer. She still really wanted to talk to pick his brain about her dreams.

What to do, then? She didn't think she would be able to concentrate on reading. Maybe she could order a movie on demand. Yes, that would do.

Naoto stood up, and went over to the small recreational room next door to her bedroom. Turning the lights on, she found the remote control and sat down on the couch.

It wasn't as if her bedroom didn't have enough space for a TV, but she found she liked her room to be for reading, thinking, and working. She rarely watched TV anyway, except for when she was anxious, or trying to procrastinate, both of which were the case now.

Lately, she had been watching a lot of shows and movies in English. Turning to one of the American networks, she saw the opening credits for what looked like an interesting science-fiction movie. Then she noticed the three small silhouettes at the bottom of the screen. It was that show with the man and the robots who kept making jokes during the movie.

Ah well. A bad sci-fi movie was better than nothing at all, and the jokes could help with her understanding of American humor.

She awoke with a pain in her backside some time later. Grimacing, she realized she had fallen asleep on the remote control.

At least she'd had no nightmares this time. Just a vague memory of a blue butterfly slowly flapping its wings.

_Was I the butterfly?_

She looked at the TV, but the screen showed nothing but static. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she realized it was midnight.

She then jumped as she heard her cell phone ringing loudly in the next room.

_Calm down! It's not even raining! I fell asleep on the remote, so the TV channels probably aren't aligned, that's all! Still…who on earth would be calling me at this hour?_

She hurried back to her room and picked up the phone. "Yes?"

"Nao-chan!" Teddie was on the other line, sounding frightened.

"Stop calling me that," Naoto said mechanically, "What's wrong?"

"I found…someone…in the TV world!" Teddie whined.

"What?" Naoto sprang to her feet, "Teddie- are you there now? No, you couldn't contact me like that from there…"

"Actually, I'm right outside your front door," Teddie admitted.

Naoto cringed. Leave it to Teddie to stand outside someone's front door and chat them up on the phone instead of just ringing the doorbell.

"I'll be right there," she said before hanging up.

She hurried down the stairs, and ran silently to the front door, careful so as not to wake her grandfather, or any of the servants.

"You could have just rung the doorbell," Naoto said as she opened the door.

"Last time I came over, all those scary alarms went off!" Teddie protested as he stepped inside.

"That's because you decided to come down the chimney," Naoto reminded him, "Ringing the doorbell won't set off any alarms,"

"Wha-?" Teddie looked confused, "Where did she go? Hey, scary-lady?"

Naoto heard a set of footsteps hurrying to the door. A young woman with short blonde hair came inside.

"Hello," the woman bowed politely, "My name is Elizabeth,"

"Are you the person Teddie spoke of?" Naoto asked.

"We met inside what you refer to as 'The Midnight Channel', yes," said Elizabeth.

"Were you pulled in? Did Teddie save you?" Naoto asked.

"No, I didn't!" Teddie shrieked, "She kidnapped me!"

Naoto looked taken aback. "I…beg your pardon?"

"She told me that I had to come with her, and she would not let up until I did!" Teddie exclaimed, "And as far as I'm concerned, that is KIDNAPPING!"

"Keep your voice down!" hissed Naoto, "Do you want to wake up everyone in the house?"

"I apologize for all of this," said Elizabeth, "But he wouldn't cooperate with me unless I agreed to speak to one of his friends. He wanted to see his sensei, but when he told me where this person was, I told him it would waste too much time. So he thought you were the next best choice,"

"So I'm your second choice?" Naoto raised an eyebrow, "Thanks for the vote of confidence,"

"You should be flattered!" Teddie protested, "First is the worst, second is the best, third is the one with the hairy chest! Or…at least that's what I heard some kids saying in Montana,"

Naoto stared blankly, then decided the matter wasn't worth pursuing.

"I'm Naoto Shirogane," Naoto introduced herself, "Why don't we adjourn to the basement? It's clean, and nobody sleeps down there, so if Teddie has another outburst, at least it won't disturb anyone,"

Elizabeth nodded. "As you wish,"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Bet

"You have a secret lair!" Teddie exclaimed gleefully.

Naoto looked embarrassed. "I admit…I did used to refer to this place as such when I was younger. Nobody really uses it, though, except for storage,"

The three of them were seated on a few scattered, sealed boxes.

Elizabeth furrowed her brow. "A secret lair, you say? Are you a superhero? Or perhaps a scientist?"

"Funny you should mention a mad scientist," Teddie giggled.

"If you're really being kidnapped, why hasn't anyone stuck you in a closet somewhere?" Naoto asked acidly.

"You're much too cruel, Nao-chan!" Teddie whined.

"Elizabeth, was it?" Naoto asked, ignoring Teddie, "How did you come to find yourself in the Midnight Channel of all places?"

"Like your friend Teddie, I'm also equipped with the means to travel between the conscious realm, and the subconscious," Elizabeth answered, "Teddie has also told me a bit about his 'sensei'. By any chance, did this 'sensei' tell you about the Velvet Room?"

Naoto scowled. "Come to think of it, he had, but none of us had ever seen it. Occasionally, he would mysteriously disappear while we were in the Midnight Channel, or even in the shopping district of downtown Inaba,"

"Had he told you about a man named Igor? Or my sister Margaret?"

"The man with the really long nose?" Teddie piped up, "I met Sensei once in his limo, but he wasn't home. It was just me and Sensei,"

"The master does tend to come and go as he pleases," said Elizabeth, "It has been a while though, since I have been employed in his services,"

"Margaret did speak of a wayward sister," Naoto recalled, "So that was you?"

"Indeed. The master has been around since anyone can remember. He helps out humanity on behalf of his own master,"

"…God?" Naoto asked.

Elizabeth chuckled. "No, we don't work for YHWH or for Lucifer. We are on humanity's side. We don't wish to enslave nor exploit humanity. The master of my former master is a being named Philemon. He is on your side as well, though he is rather lazy, in my opinion,"

"So you're a part of all of this?" Naoto asked.

"I have reason to want to take things further than they've been up until now," said Elizabeth, "You see, not long before Izanami began wreaking havoc in Inaba, another being known as Nyx nearly ended the world. Have you not noticed that there have been several…what is the term…? Ah- yes! Have you not noticed several 'doomsday' panics occurred in Japan recently?"

"The fog, yes…" Naoto suddenly realized: "You said 'Nyx'…as in, that cult that occurred in Port Island?"

"And I'm sure you're aware of the 'Joker' murders from the turn of this past century?" Elizabeth prompted.

"You're telling me that they're all related?" Naoto asked.

"All related to one being," Elizabeth answered, "A hostile, immature creature known as Nyarlathotep. He is responsible for the manipulating the serial killer 'JOKER' in Sumaru City, among other antics,"

"It never occurred to me," Naoto mused, "But I suppose it makes sense that these urban legends were true,"

"Has this 'Nyah-Nyah' jerk done anything else?" Teddie asked.

"There was an incident in New York that Margaret is currently investigating," said Elizabeth, "I plan to meet with her there, soon. There are other Persona-users of interest from there. But…I believe that part of the solution is sitting right here. Teddie…you are unique as a Shadow…you appear to be born, not out of humanity's darkest thoughts, but of the exact opposite. Nyarlathotep tapped into the negative thoughts of others by giving the Shadows strength. If there is a way to tap into the positive thoughts…would mankind not have more of a fighting chance?"

"This Philemon being might be able to do that?" Naoto asked hopefully.

"No," Elizabeth said flatly, "He sticks to the rules of the bet,"

"Bet?" Naoto looked puzzled.

"Yes, a bet," Elizabeth looked sad, "You might understand why I do not look upon the former master's master favorably,"

"What's the bet?" Teddie asked.

"To see if humanity can attain enlightenment, or if they will destroy themselves," Elizabeth answered, "The idea was that they would watch and see. Nyarlathotep, however, decided to cheat and interfere,"

"That's…!" Naoto exclaimed, "That's unforgivable!"

"Exactly," said Elizabeth, "And now…it's time to cheat back,"

"But…where do we even start?" Naoto asked.

"Nyx," Elizabeth answered, "And I believe that Teddie is the key to defeating her,"

Teddie gulped.

"Nyarlathotep manipulates the many sides to a person, allowing their darker side to emerge and cause destruction around them. You could say that at the root of it all, this is a purely psychological battle,"

"Yet it involves almighty spells cast by a being that I control," Naoto said dryly.

Elizabeth looked at the ground thoughtfully. "Perhaps this is a lot for you to…digest. Shall we leave and allow you to sleep it off?"

"Let me stay, please!" Teddie begged.

"I'm surprised at you, Teddie," Naoto teased, "I thought being alone with a lady was exactly what you wanted,"

"She dragged me out of the Midnight Channel against my will!" Teddie squealed, "She's also incredibly strong!"

"Then you should feel safe with her," said Naoto.

"Teddie, I apologize if my forward manner has frightened you," said Elizabeth, "I assure you I have no desire to harm you. In fact, I have every reason to want to keep you safe,"

"Remember everything that Elizabeth has said up until now," said Naoto, "However, you are both welcome to spend the night in the guest rooms. I can show you to them now, if you wish,"

Elizabeth stood up. "Thank you,"

Naoto and Teddie both stood up.

"I'm curious about one thing, though," Naoto said, "Margaret told us of your quest…the boy trapped in an endless sleep, I believe it was. Did you find a way to save him?"

Elizabeth looked at Teddie and smiled. "I believe I have,"

"Oh!" Naoto remembered, "This…demon….what does it look like?"

"He can look like anything he wants to," said Elizabeth, "But his typical form is of a winged creature. He's charcoal-colored, has two claws on each hand instead of fingers…Miss Naoto- are you alright? The flesh on your face has lightened considerably…!"

* * *

Naoto opened her eyes, seeing the sun rising through her bedroom window. Twice during the night she had awoken after seeing Nyarlathotep's gray, featureless face. She had to wonder what was going on. Was the demon targeting her now? What about Teddie, and this woman Elizabeth? Were they also being targeted? Yukiko hadn't been targeted, and she was fairly sure none of her other friends had either.

She yawned and got out of bed. Today would certainly be interesting.

* * *

"I believe we should join up with Margaret today," said Elizabeth, "We- oh my!"

She looked down at the many breakfast choices on the table.

"Is that…breakfast cereal I see?" she picked up a box labeled "Fruitee Poofeez".

"I didn't know you ate sugary cereal, Nao-chan!" Teddie exclaimed, "Six years and I still learn new things about you!"

Naoto looked uncomfortable. "I've enjoyed it since I was six years old. I suppose old habits die hard,"

"May I…?" Elizabeth asked, "I've never eaten cereal before,"

"Help yourself," Naoto said.

"Thank you," Elizabeth poured herself a bowl, and promptly poured orange juice into the cereal.

Teddie stared in horror.

Elizabeth quickly ate, until a plastic-wrapped object showed up on her spoon.

"Oh…" Elizabeth peered curiously at it, "It seems there is something in my breakfast that isn't edible…should I inform the waiter?"

"That's the prize!" Teddie exclaimed, "Sheesh! Even _I_ know that!"

"I've…won a prize…just for eating my breakfast?" Elizabeth mused, "How fascinating! So one is rewarded for maintaining a balanced diet…as breakfast _is_ the most important meal of the day!"

Naoto and Teddie both stared at their own breakfast uncomfortably, not knowing what to say.

Finally, Naoto spoke: "I thought you said Margaret was in America,"

"That's right," said Elizabeth.

"While it wouldn't be hard to procure a plane ticket for ourselves," Naoto stated, "I'm sure Teddie doesn't have a passport, or you?"

"An airplane would take much too long," said Elizabeth, "We can simply take a shortcut through the other side,"

"Ah, so we go to America through the Midnight Channel!" Teddie said happily, "That's fine! We can take my secret path,"

"That won't do," said Naoto, "Not if Margaret is actually in New York. Montana is quite a ways away from there. Could either of you find a different path?"

"Certainly," said Elizabeth, "I can take us anywhere in the world. I've had years to learn how to do so,"

Just then, the phone she wore at her waste rang.

"This is unexpected," she remarked as she picked up her phone, "Hello? …Little brother! It's been a long time…! …Did you, now? So you too wish to contribute to this? Very well, then. I've found the people I needed to find. Shall we all meet up and find Margaret together…? Very well, then. There is a large store in Inaba called 'Junes'. Meet us there, at a large pile of television sets…yes…alright, Theo…goodbye…"

She hung up. "This is a surprise. My brother Theodore has stepped in, and left the master as well. He claims that three friends of the boy I had mentioned, may be able to assist us. They will be waiting for us at the television portal at Junes,"

"Oh, then I should go on ahead," said Teddie, "You said three people, right? I need to make preparations so they don't get sick in the Midnight Channel,"

"Ah, that's right," said Naoto, "The glasses. I still have mine stored safely. I'll be sure to bring them. Should…I call the others that know of the Midnight Channel?"

"Not quite yet," answered Elizabeth, "In due time,"

* * *

"I…don't understand…" said Naoto as she and the others stood inside Junes' electronics department later that morning.

A blond young man who resembled Elizabeth stood, smiling pleasantly. Standing next to him was another young man with ash-colored hair. Next to him was a teenaged boy wearing sunglasses, and leading a Shiba Inu.

"I made three pairs of glasses, and I only get one person who can use them?" Teddie complained.

"Two," said the blind boy softly, "Only seeing-eye dogs are allowed inside Junes. It was his idea," he pointed to the ashen-haired man.

Naoto looked impressed, "Clever,"

"This is my brother Theo," Elizabeth announced to Teddie and Naoto. Then to the two other young men: "My name is Elizabeth. It's a pleasure to meet you,"

"I'm Akihiko Sanada," said the ashen-haired man, "The 'blind' guy is Ken Amada, and the dog is Koromaru,"

"Detective Naoto Shirogane," Naoto introduced herself.

"My name's Teddie…is he going to bite this…Gnarly-toe-tap demon or something?" Teddie asked dubiously.

"There's more to Koromaru than meets the eye," said Ken, "He's been blessed, I suppose you could say. He's over ten years old, but he doesn't have any gray on his snout. He's still got a lot of energy, don't you, boy?"

Koromaru barked happily, and then jumped on Teddie.

"WAUGH!" Teddie squealed as he jumped straight into the large-screen TV behind him.

Naoto's eyes went wide as she looked around, making sure no one else had seen.

"He had the glasses, didn't he?" Elizabeth sounded disappointed.

"That wasn't necessary," said Theo as he pulled out two pairs of glasses and handed them to Ken and Akihiko.

"Oh, good for you for thinking ahead!" Elizabeth, "But what about Koromaru?"

Theo reached into his other pocket and pulled out a dog-shaped mask with two lenses in the eye sockets.

"Get ready," Naoto said to everyone, "The second the cost is clear, we're all going inside,"

* * *

A/N: While Theodore is in the story, Minako(the female protagonist from Persona 3), is not. Sorry to disappoint.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Koromaru whined unhappily as he tried to paw his mask off.

"No, boy, we need you to keep that on, so you don't get sick, okay?" Ken chided the dog.

"How is it you are involved in this?" Naoto asked the newcomers.

"Master Igor monitored two parallel worlds," Theodore explained, "But for a few differences, the two were exactly alike. The world I decided to assist was consumed by Nyx. I wish to avenge it, and a young woman who had become important to me,"

"And you three were friends with the boy, Minato," Elizabeth said to the three other newcomers.

Koromaru whined softly.

"We'd gotten word that we may be able to save his soul," said Akihiko, "After all he's done…he at least deserves a rest,"

"And if there's a way to stop all of this once and for all," said Ken, "I'm in,"

Elizabeth looked sad. "Long ago, humanity fought for freedom from two opposing powers. This freedom cost the world protection from rogue demons everywhere. Mankind will always be looking over their shoulder. There is no 'once and for all',"

"Well, it still sounds like our gnarly-demon is a huge monkey on our backs," Teddie commented.

"Agreed," said Naoto, "Perhaps later we can discuss defensive measures against attacks by future demons. For now, we should set off. Elizabeth, lead the way,"

Elizabeth nodded. "Follow me, then,"

She led the group down a twisted pathway, that seemed to get darker as they continued walking.

Naoto's senses felt heightened. She knew it had nothing to do with the fact that they were on the other side. It had everything to do with the adrenaline rush she was feeling. Not since the last time she had been through the TV had she felt this way. Despite the cases she had taken on after Inaba, nothing else had tested her wits, endurance, and patience like the Midnight Channel murders had.

Apparently, experiencing the supernatural made the rest of the crime-solving industry pale in comparison. Perhaps she was meant to solve these supernatural mysteries. One certainly had to think outside the box in these kinds of situations. Not only that, but forensics in the subconscious realms would never be in her curriculum.

"Might as well take these out," Akihiko said as he opened his backpack and took out a pair of brass knuckles.

"YOU!"

The group spun around to see Teddie, dressed in his bear suit, shaking his fists angrily.

Koromaru growled.

"Talking shadows?" Ken exclaimed as he took out what Naoto thought to be a gun.

_I thought I was the only case of a child in Japan allowed to carry a gun…_Naoto thought before her hand shot out, staying Ken's.

"That's just Teddie," she reassured them, "He always dresses like that in here,"

"Oh," said Akihiko as he slipped the brass knuckles on.

Koromaru leaped onto Teddie, biting his ear, and shaking his head violently.

"DOWN, Koromaru!" Ken ordered.

The dog faltered, and then with another growl, leaped down from Teddie.

"Are we going to have to separate you two?" Naoto deadpanned.

"RRRRAAAAAAWWWWWRRRRR!" Teddie growled as he began chasing after Koromaru, who suddenly deflated and began running ahead of the group.

"Honestly…" Naoto sighed as she and the others began chasing after the two.

"How much longer until we're there?" Ken wanted to know.

"Not very long at all," said Elizabeth, "They're actually heading in the right direction, so we don't have to-!"

"SHADOW!" Teddie screamed from around a corner.

"Let's go!" Ken shouted as he sprinted off.

Naoto, Elizabeth, Theodore and Akihiko followed closely behind, both coming to a sudden stop, their mouths dropping in shock.

Before the group was a griffin-like shadow flapping its wings as it floated in the air. It carefully eyed the group before it swooped low, clawing at Koromaru.

The dog jumped out of the way.

Akihiko pulled out his gun.

"Good idea," Naoto did the same. Then, to her horror, she saw the two boys raise the guns to their temples.

"NO!" Naoto shouted as Akihiko pulled the trigger.

But instead of blood and brains shooting out of Akihiko's head, a bright cloud of blue dust-like substance burst out. Suddenly, a Persona appeared and attacked the shadow.

"BEAR-SONA!" Teddie yelled as tossed his card into the air and struck it.

Ken lowered his gun and stared in amazement. "You did that by just raising a card?"

He then dove to the floor, avoiding a blast of fire coming from the shadow.

"Ice doesn't work!" Teddie concluded.

"Neither does electricity!" Akihiko called out.

Naoto took out her own gun and began shooting.

"No good!" she shouted.

"Almighty spells!" Elizabeth cried, "That's its weakness! Stand back unless you have those spells!"

Naoto stepped forward, summoning her persona to cast a Megidolaon spell. Elizabeth cast the same thing.

The shadow screeched and fell to the floor.

"BEAR-PILE!" screamed Teddie as he jumped on the creature and began clawing at it. The others followed suit.

Elizabeth watched the fray, smiling amusedly. Then, she looked at her brother and raised an eyebrow.

Theodore nodded and held his compendium open, casting one last spell.

The creature was enveloped in a flash of light, disappearing completely, just as Naoto shot her pistol at it. The bullet ricocheted off the floor, causing everyone to duck for cover.

"That gun was real…!" Ken panted as he stood up.

"I thought you were trying to- what kind of gun is that?" Naoto asked incredulously.

"It's not," Ken replied, puzzled as he held up his summoning tool, "How were you all able to summon Personae without one of these?"

"You mean that's not a real gun, but a summoning device?" Naoto asked.

"Yes- it's an evoker," said Akihiko, "We thought you knew what they were since you seemed to have one too,"

Naoto reached absently for her holster. "This is the real thing,"

Ken suddenly looked nervous.

"This is how we summon," said Naoto as she held up her Arcana card.

"Well, I'll be!" Teddie exclaimed, "So my theory is true!"

Naoto glanced at Teddie. "What theory?"

"That the blue matter that summons the Personae can look like anything a person wants to,"

"Well, of course!" Theodore chimed in, "Be they toy guns, cards, they still achieve the same purpose,"

_But why feign suicide in order to protect yourself?_ Naoto wondered.

"Shall we get going?" Elizabeth suggested.

"Indeed," Theodore agreed, "I was hoping maybe at some point today, I might find an archway,"

"Arcade," Ken corrected him, wincing.

"I wonder if they have takoyaki in New York," Elizabeth mused.

"Ah, so you've tried that as well?" Theodore asked his sister.

"Your cheeks appear to be intact," Elizabeth observed.

"As do yours!" Theodore said, beaming.

Naoto glanced questioningly at Akihiko and Ken.

"Oh! That's the slogan at the old takoyaki place in Iwatodai City!" Ken recalled, "You'll smile so wide that your cheeks will fall off, or something like that,"

Naoto bit her lip, trying not to smirk. Both siblings were like foreigners, taking everything literally. Having met Margaret only once, and briefly, she wondered if their eldest sibling was as eccentric as they were.

"Hey! There's an exit here!" Teddie called out from up ahead.

"Teddie- stop wandering off from the group!" Naoto called out as she and the others caught up to him.

"Hey, I happen to live here!" Teddie huffed, "Just not this particular…address,"

Ken peered at the large tube TV set on the floor.

"It's safe to enter," said Elizabeth, "Go on,"

Teddie got on his hands and knees and began to crawl through the screen. Just then, he let out a cry as the rest of his body seemed to be dragged through.

"What the-?" Ken peaked inside, only to be dragged in as well.

"What's going on?" Naoto asked Elizabeth.

"I intend to find out," said Theodore as he began to slide in feet-first. Predictably, he also began sliding in uncontrollably, but not without a struggle.

"Ouch! That was completely uncalled for!" a woman could be heard saying.

"Oh dear…" Elizabeth looked crestfallen, "This is indeed an unfortunate misunderstanding,"

* * *

Margaret, the eldest of the three siblings, glared at Theodore as she quickly cast a "Dia" spell on her eye, which was beginning to swell. Theodore's face had a red handprint on it, but his compendium was being guarded by Margaret, so healing himself was out of the question.

They and everyone else sat on the floor in the living room of a small apartment, empty save for a large flat-screen TV in the corner of the room.

"Where are we?" Akihiko finally asked.

"The place where Nyarlathotep first crossed over into the conscious realm," Margaret answered, "That would be Lunarvale, New York,"

"New York…" Naoto mused, "But why would he strike here first, and then focus all of his actions on Japan?"

"What we're trying to find out is if there might be other places he has shown up at," Margaret explained, "Not every incident may be reported,"

"That makes sense," said Akihiko, "Especially if he showed up at, say, some primitive village in the middle of some jungle somewhere,"

"Or maybe the witnesses were killed," Ken suggested sadly.

"You asked why the first incident differs in location than the others," Margaret said to Naoto, "But there is one detail that you may find interesting. The man who summoned Nyarlathotep into the world happened to be a Japanese CEO. The leader of the first group of Persona-users was a Japanese exchange student,"

"Again with the Japanese connection," Ken mused.

"Have you managed to contact him?" Naoto asked.

Margaret shook her head. "Negative," she said, "I'm afraid the best way to contact someone out of the blue is beyond my grasp,"

"Just use social networking," Ken suggested.

"I'm aware of social networking," said Margaret, "I just don't understand computers for the life of me,"

"Why not summon him like the other leaders were?" suggested Akihiko.

"That is a trick that only the master and his master could do," said Theodore.

"Well, good thing I packed," said Ken. He reached into his backpack and pulled a leather case out. He opened the case, taking out a tablet.

"4g?" Akihiko asked him.

"Yep," said Ken as he turned on the tablet.

Just then, the front door opened, and a blonde Caucasian woman came inside, hauling a coffee table inside, her back turned to everyone.

"_Ngo Faan Lai Laa_!" she said in Cantonese before switching to English, albeit with a heavy Japanese accent, "I can't believe somebody just threw this perfectly good table away," she remarked, "Now I don't have to eat off the floor, and that- _aiyah!_"

She had turned around and now saw everyone sitting before her.

"Welcome back," said Margaret, "As you can see, our allies have begun to arrive,"

"I didn't know it would be so quick!" the woman exclaimed, switching to Japanese, "I suppose I got here in time. Sorry for the condition of this place, but I just rented it last week, the lease started just yesterday, and I haven't had time to furnish it,"

"Excuse me, but your Japanese is amazing!" said Ken.

"Ssenk-yoo-berry-machu!" the woman bowed, "My name is Lisa Silverman. Nice to meet you all,"

"I knew it!" Teddie exclaimed as he leapt to his feet. "Ginko-chan! The idol! I have all your old CDs!"

Something clicked in Naoto's mind. She had recalled Rise talking about an idol that she had looked up to. She remembered that the singer was Caucasian, had an American name, but sang in both Japanese and Cantonese. Was this the woman Rise had talked about?

"Lisa lived in Sumaru city during the Joker murders," Margaret explained, "She's also a persona-user,"

"What?" Teddie shrieked excitedly, "On top of everything else, she can use Personae? Ginko-chan is truly amazing!"

Lisa laughed, "It's nice to see I still have fans. Happy to make your acquaintance. And you are?"

"I'm…uh…" Teddie tried to think.

"His name is Teddie," said Naoto, "I'm called Naoto Shirogane,"

"Akihiko Sanada,"

"Ken Amada"

"My name is Elizabeth,"

"Call me Theo,"

"Looks like I'm not the only 'celebrity' here," Lisa said as she glanced at Naoto, "The Detective 'Prince' is on the case too? It's amazing who turns out to be a persona-user, isn't it?"

"Nao-chan and Ginko-chan!" Teddie said happily, "What a star-studded day this has turned out to be!"

"I don't recall you ever being excited about my alleged 'status' in society," Naoto said to him.

Teddie put a finger to his lips. "Shh! Don't ruin the moment!" he whispered dramatically.

Lisa dragged the coffee table to the center of the room as the others made room.

"You all must be hungry after what I'm guessing was an intense trip," she said, "Let me order something for us all to eat, now that we have something to eat _on_,"


End file.
